MUNICH, Germany—One more time, Zinedine Zidane stepped up to the penalty spot, 12 yards from another shot at glory for himself and France.
Dripping with sweat, Zidane converted the kick in the 33rd minute after Ricardo Carvalho was whistled for a foul on Thierry Henry, giving the French a 1-0 victory over Portugal and a berth in the World Cup final.
France, which was supposed to be soccer’s over-the-hill gang, meets Italy at Berlin in a matchup of blue—France’s Les Bleus vs the Italian Azzurri.
The French will be making just their second ever appearance in a World Cup final—the other was their famous 3-0 victory at home over Brazil in 1998. Italy, trying for its fourth title, will be in its sixth final.